Light is continually increasing and the structures are not receiving any that is to be seen if they would awake to it. Greater and increased understandings should be coming to us almost each day if we would not be complacent and settled on our lees.
" Those who cling to old customs and hoary errors have lost sight of the fact that light is ever increasing upon the path of all who follow Christ; truth is constantly unfolding to the people of God. We must be continually advancing if we are following our Leader. It is when we walk in the light that shines upon us, obeying the truth that is open to our understanding, that we receive greater light. We cannot be excusable in accepting only the light which our fathers had one hundred years ago. If our God-fearing fathers had seen what we see, and heard what we hear, they would have accepted the light, and walked in it. If we desire to imitate their faithfulness, we must receive the truths open to us, as they received those presented to them; we must do as they would have done, had they lived in our day. {HS 197.1}
Just before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for his disciples, Sanctify them through Thy truth; thy word is truth. It is the duty of every one to search the Scriptures for himself. We cannot accept the assertions of men as infallible. To those who oppose and denounce our faith we say, Show us from the Bible that we are in error.God's word is to judge us at the last day, and we want to know what saith the Scripture. We are regarded with jealousy and bitterness because we will not accept as evidence the assertions of men and the testimony of the Fathers; but we cannot purchase peace and unity by sacrificing the truth. The conflict may be long and painful, but at any cost we must hold fast the word of God. The Bible, and the Bible only, must be our watchword. {HS 197.2}
That is a powerful two paragraphs that the sleeping church structure sorely needs today. Truth is I never expected to find such a strong testimony, let's us know we are not looking and advancing as we ought!
1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
This is coming and is now coming very fast now and any can see it by the terrible signs of the times we are seeing now! The light is shining on what now is coming hard and fast!
"The followers of Christ should bear in mind that all the evil speeches made against Christ, all the abuse that He received, they must, as His followers, endure for His names sake.The piety of the church may professedly be of a high order, but when the truth of the Word of God is brought to bear upon the heart, and when conviction of truth is rejected and despised so that they may keep in friendship with the majority, they place themselves . . . as rejecters of truth and light, on the side of the enemy. Satan stirs them up by a power from beneath, with an intensity that reveals his enmity to God and His laws. They enact human laws that are oppressive and galling. . . . {CTr 280.2}
As Christ was hated without cause, so will His people be hated without cause, merely because they are obedient to the commandments of God and do His works in the place of working directly contrary to them. If He who was pure, holy, and undefiled, who did good and only good in our world, was treated as a base criminal and condemned to death without a vestige of evidence against Him, what can His disciples expect but similar treatment, however faultless may be their life and blameless their character? Human enactments, laws manufactured by satanic agencies under a plea of goodness and restriction of evil, will be exalted while Gods holy enactments are despised and trampled underfoot. . . . {CTr 280.3}
We see how professedly righteous people can act out the spirit of Satan to carry their wicked purposes through envy and jealousy and religious bigotry. . . . There is no warfare between Satan and the sinner, between fallen angels and fallen humans. Both possess the same attributes, both are evil through apostasy and sin. . . . {CTr 280.4}
The prediction given in Eden refers in a special manner to Christ, and to all who accept and confess Him as the only begotten Son of God. Christ has pledged Himself to engage in the conflict with the prince and power of darkness and to bruise the serpents head. All who are the sons and daughters of God are His chosen ones, His soldiers, to war against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. It is an unwearied conflict of which there is to be no end until Christ shall come the second time.Manuscript 104, 1897. {CTr 280.5}
Increased light. We need it, but when we don't repent of the sins we currently love as a church (love of money, desire to be great, desire to keep the status quo, abortion, praise of world, tolerance of not just sin - but even abominations in the church, etc.) how can Jesus cast more light on us?
